Friday, February 09, 2018
Fri-Yay: High Concept Sitcoms; Bravo's Imposters Returns in April
by Vincent
Sitcoms tend to go in phases, and one of the many phases of the sitcom is "high concept vs. low concept." This trend can be dated way back to the earliest decades of television - I'd argue the '50s were a "low concept" decade as most shows from that era were fairly simple in premise, shows such as I Love Lucy or Leave it to Beaver, which had straightforward and realistic premises (newlyweds in the city, families in the suburbs) and relied on character antics for their laughs and plot. However, following the '50s came the '60s, which had huge concepts - just look at shows like I Dream of Jeannie or Bewitched, shows about magical creatures which had complex rules and universes of their own. This became the norm in the '60s - shows about talking horses, flying nuns, witches, and genies were the norm, perhaps as a form of a escapism from the turbulent political climate. While we saw some high-concept shows after the '60s, for the most part, shows began to get gradually lower in their concept until Seinfeld became the quintessential low concept series - it was a sitcom that was proud to be a "show about nothing."
However, for the first time in many years, we're beginning to see a rise in high concept sitcoms again. The biggest example of this is likely The Good Place, which is one of the most high-concept hit sitcoms in quite some time, revolving around a woman and her friends in the afterlife. But you can see it around other shows and networks, too - think of a show like The Last Man on Earth, revolving around the apocalypse, or Search Party, a plot-heavy film noir comedy. Even something like CBS's Life in Pieces, which shows several different families lives and how they intersect, and is told in short "pieces", could qualify. Like the '60s, perhaps this could be a form of escapism for people in today's similarly tumultuous political climate? Either way, it's certainly a good time for creative, original and high-concept sitcoms.
Bravo Media and Universal Cable Productions' original scripted series Imposters, starring Inbar Lavi, Rob Heaps, Parker Young, Marianne Rendón, Brian Benben and Stephen Bishop, returns for a second season on Thursday, April 5 at 10pm ET/PT. From executive producers Adam Brooks and Paul Adelstein, Imposters follows Maddie (Lavi), a persona-shifting con artist and the "Bumblers," a trio of her recent, heart-broken victims, Ezra (Heaps), Richard (Young) and Jules (Rendón). To catch up on Imposters season one, tune in to Bravo on Monday, February 19 from 8am-6pm ET for an all-day marathon. Additionally, season one is currently available on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, XBOX, Playstation, FandangoNow and Vudu, and is available starting today on Netflix.
Golden Globe winning actress Uma Thurman reprises her guest role as lethal fixer, Lenny Cohen. Additionally, executive producer Paul Adelstein will guest star with a story arc spanning multiple episodes, playing Shelly Cohen, a mysterious fixer who happens to be Lenny's former husband. In the season two premiere, Maddie decides to lay low at a lake house in Michigan as she tries to escape her former existence. However, she finds her past much harder to shake than anticipated, leaving her in a state of paranoia. The Bumblers head to Richard's hometown hoping to sell the rare, very expensive ring Ezra stole from Patrick. Their hope for a clean getaway backfires when the tables turn and they find themselves on the run... again.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight
Monday, March 1
The Neighborhood - "Welcome to the Election" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Dave faces off against incumbent Isaiah Evans (guest star Wayne Brady) in a debate for a city council seat, and the race comes to a dramatic conclusion.
Bob Hearts Abishola - "On a Dead Guy's Bench" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Bob enlists Tunde’s help to buy an engagement ring, but his plans to propose to Abishola are upended by her belief that a traditional marriage is more trouble than it’s worth.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 1)
Monday, March 1
- Eddie Murphy (The PJs) and Arsenio Hall (Arsenio) - Watch Eddie and Arsenio on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Jermaine Fowler (Superior Donuts) - Jermaine appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) - Andy is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Kenan Thompson (Kenan/Kenan & Kel) - Kenan will be on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Sarah Chalke (Roseanne/Scrubs) - Sarah appears on A Little Late with Lilly Singh at 1:35am on NBC.
- Chris Gethard (Big Lake) - Chris is a guest on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Wendi McLendon-Covey (The Goldbergs/Rules of Engagement/Reno 911!) - Wendi appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Leslie Jordan (Call Me Kat/The Cool Kids/Will & Grace/Hearts Afire) - Leslie will be on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
- Nick Jonas (Jonas) - Nick is a guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
- Beth Behrs (The Neighborhood/2 Broke Girls) - Beth appears on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Ethan Suplee (The Ranch/My Name Is Earl/Boy Meets World) - Ethan opens up about his over 280-pound weight loss on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
- Leslie Odom Jr. (Central Park/Big Day) - Leslie performs on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
- Jackée Harry (Tyler Perry's The Paynes/The First Family/Sister, Sister/227) - Jackée talks about NBC's Days of Our Lives on Access Daily, so check your local listings.
New on DVD/Blu-ray (October-February)
10/13 - The Jetsons - The Complete Series (Diamond Collection)
10/13 - Our Cartoon President - Season Two
10/23 - Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em - The Complete Collection
10/27 - The Flintstones - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
10/27 - Head of the Class - The Complete Second Season (WBShop.com)
11/10 - Letterkenny - Seasons 5 & 6
11/10 - The Office - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/10 - Schitt's Creek - The Complete Collection
11/17 - Carol's Second Act - The Complete Series
11/17 - Robbie - Season 1
11/24 - Corporate - Season 1
11/26 - Man with a Plan - Season Four
12/01 - The Neighborhood - Season Two
12/15 - Avenue 5 - The Complete First Season
01/22 - Corporate - Season 2
01/22 - Corporate - Season 3
02/02 - Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In - The Complete Series (2021 Retail Release)
02/16 - Fam - The Complete Series
02/23 - Betty White's Pet Set - The Complete Series
03/02 - Blue Mountain State - The Complete Series
03/02 - Happy Together - The Complete Series
03/02 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-4 (DVD) (Blu-ray)
More TV DVD Releases / DVD Reviews Archive / SitcomsOnline Digest
Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts
